Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the cost of building smoking chambers in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast; who took the decision to install the chambers; what consultations were held; and with whom.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: The cost of building the smoking chambers is estimated at £490,000. The decision about this expenditure was taken by the Royal Hospitals Trust. There was discussion with all interested parties within the trust.

Northern Ireland Office: Questions for Written Answer

Lord Jopling: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, since 10 out of the 17 Questions for Written Answer which have failed to receive an Answer after three weeks fall to be answered by the Northern Ireland Office, Ministers in that department will arrange special training for the officials concerned at the Civil Service College; and whether parliamentary guidelines that answers are expected to be given within two weeks will be respected in future.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: I am pleased to inform the noble Lord that all 10 questions have now been answered.
	The Northern Ireland Office endeavours to answer all Parliamentary Questions within the 14 day timescale. However, because of the large numbers of Parliamentary Questions in recent months, many of which have required co-ordination between several parts of the Northern Ireland Office and the formerly devolved administration, the 14-day timescale has occasionally not been met.
	I would like to assure the noble Lord that the Northern Ireland Office recognises the importance of prompt Answers.

Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001: Telephone Interceptions

Lord Rea: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many telephone taps or interceptions have been authorised under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001; and who authorises such telephone interceptions.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The annual reports of the Interception of Communications Commissioner appointed under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 list the number of interception warrants issued and explain the authorisation process. The commissioner's report for 2001 is available in the Library.

MoD Hospital Units

Lord Vivian: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the current staff levels of Defence Medical Services personnel in the Ministry of Defence Health Units, in comparison with the Ministry of Defence's establishment.

Lord Bach: The military establishment and strength of each Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit as at 10 April 2003 was as follows:
	
		
			 Unit Establishment Strength 
			 Derriford 190 151 
			 Frimley Park 278 185 
			 Northallerton 167 146 
			 Peterborough 197 162 
			 Portsmouth 797 599 
			 (Royal Hospital Haslar and Queen Alexandra Hospital combined)

Afghanistan: Provincial Reconstruction Teams

Lord Elder: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have for the UK to lead one of the coalition provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan.

Lord Bach: The commitment of the United Kingdom to helping the people of Afghanistan rebuild their country is well established. We are already extensively engaged in a range of activities from security to reconstruction to humanitarian aid. In conjunction with our international partners and the Afghan Transitional Authority (ATA), progress has already been substantial, particularly in Kabul.
	Looking to build upon that progress, as my right honourable friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Mr Ingram) informed the House, in another place, in answer to a Parliamentary Question on 9 April (Official Report, Commons, col. 296W) from my honourable friend the Member for Lewisham Deptford (Ms Ruddock), we have been interested in leading a provincial reconstruction team (PRT) and were conducting the necessary preparatory planning work. We have had wide-ranging discussions with the ATA, the United Nations, regional leaders and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). As a result of these talks and planning, we have decided to participate in the coalition's deployment of PRTs. The role of these teams is to aid the extension of the ATA's capacity, the development of a stable and secure environment in the Afghan regions and to stimulate security sector reform and reconstruction. Overall, there are expected to be eight such teams. From July 2003, the United Kingdom will lead the PRT in Mazar-e Sharif and the five surrounding provinces.
	The UK PRT will initially be military-led and deploy for up to two years. It will initially comprise some 50 troops who will liaise with Afghan military forces in the region and provide the team's support and protection. The PRT will include civilian staff from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development (DfID) who will be responsible for providing political and development advice respectively. DfID will also provide funding for the PRT to support appropriate development programmes in close connection with the central and local Afghan authorities. We have invited the ATA to provide a representative to work with the PRT, which will also employ directly a small number of local staff. By encouraging and facilitating dialogue between all the polictial groups and militias around Mazar-e Sharif, the team will contribute towards the Afghans themselves creating a safer and more stable environment. We therefore anticipate the structure of the PRT may change over time and we shall in any event be seeking to include personnel from other members of the coalition as soon as is practicable. In the future, we may also look to contribute British personnel to PRTs in other regions.
	The PRTs are not a part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul. Our decision to lead the Mazar-e Sharif PRT is additional to our commitment to the ISAF. We shall retain our current ISAF commitment for the duration of the joint German—Dutch leadership of the force. We expect to remain a significant troop contributor when a NATO headquarters is deployed in August 2003 as part of the alliance's package of measures to enhance its support to the ISAF.

Iraq: Antiquities

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they have taken during the past two months to prevent or deter the export or international trade in antiquities looted in Iraq.

Baroness Blackstone: The UK is a signatory to the 1970 UNESCO Convention and the Government are supporting a Private Member's Bill which will strengthen UK law in respect of preventing illicit trade in antiquities. In addition, we have secured the assistance of the UK art trade in locating and identifying material looted from Iraq and are working with international bodies to establish a database of stolen items. We are also contributing to the International Council of Museums' Red List of the most common categories of objects that may have been stolen or looted in Iraq. We have also alerted Customs to the need to enforce the current embargo on any imports from Iraq.

Abortion

Baroness Masham of Ilton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the statistically most likely condition for an abortion in the latest year for which figures are available in terms of:
	(a) the marital status of the woman;
	(b) the age of the woman;
	(c) the gestation of the pregnancy;
	(d) the number of previous children born by the woman;
	(e) the number of previous abortions undergone by the woman; and
	(f) the legal grounds under which the abortion was performed.

Baroness Andrews: The number of abortions, by most likely condition, performed on residents of England and Wales in 2001 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  
			Condition Most likely condition (Statistical MODE) Number Percentage of total 
			  Total Number of abortions  176,364 100 
			 a Marital Status Single 124,930 71 
			 b Age Group 20–24 years 48,267 27 
			 c Gestation Group 9–12 weeks 79,368 45 
			 d Previous Children No previous children 92,824 53 
			 e Previous Abortions No previous abortions 122,129 69 
			 f Legal Grounds Ground C* 171,041 97 
		
	
	*Includes Ground C (that the pregnancy has not exceeded its 24th week and that the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman) alone and in combination with other grounds.

Abortion

Baroness Cox: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the number of abortions in the years 1966; 1968; 1969: 1970; 1980; 1990 and 2000

Baroness Andrews: Data are shown in the following table:
	
		Numbers of abortions under the Abortion Act 1967, as amended, England & Wales
		
			 Year Residents of England and Wales Non-residents 
			 1966 None None 
			 1968* 22,332 1,309 
			 1969 49,829 4,990 
			 1970 75,962 10,603 
			 1980 128,927 31,976 
			 1990 173,900 13,012 
			 2000 175,542 9,833 
		
	
	*eight months data only as legislation did not come into effect until 27 April 1968.

Abortion

Baroness Cox: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many late abortions were performed in each of the last ten years for which figures are available in pregnancies of:
	(a) 24 weeks;
	(b) 25 weeks;
	(c) 26 weeks;
	(d) 27 weeks;
	(e) 28 weeks;
	(f) Over 28 weeks; and whether they will indicate the numbers and percentages of those abortions which were performed on legal grounds.

Baroness Andrews: The following table shows numbers of abortions performed at more than 24 weeks 0 days gestation for the years 1991 to 2001.
	A pregnancy may be terminated only if two registered medical practitioners are of the opinion, formed in good faith, that an abortion is justified within the terms of the Abortion Act 1967, as amended. All of the abortions (100 per cent) shown in the table were legally performed under the grounds set out in the Act.
	
		Numbers of late abortions in England and Wales, residents and non-residents, by gestation 1991–2001
		
			   Gestation in weeks 
			  Total late abortions 24(1) 25 26 27 28 over 28 
			 1991 60*  18 17 9 6 10 
			 1992 60  18 6 5 5 26 
			 1993 74  21 13 9 7 24 
			 1994 94  23 21 9 13 28 
			 1995 74  13 13 5 11 32 
			 1996 107  31 21 9 11 35 
			 1997 74  10 22 6 4 32 
			 1998 88 11 14 10 13 8 32 
			 1999 116 25 23 13 7 12 36 
			 2000 126 23 21 15 11 12 44 
			 2001 130 25 21 9 16 11 48 
		
	
	Footnotes
	*Includes eight abortions that were performed in the first part of the year before the Abortion Act was amended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.
	(1) Figures for 1991 to 1997 are of abortions performed at 25 weeks 0 days gestation or more; figures from 1998 onwards are of abortions performed at more than 24 weeks 0 days gestation. Prior to 1998, data on terminations performed at gestations of up to 24 weeks 6 days were included in the 23–24 gestation band. The data for terminations performed at 24 weeks 1 day or more cannot be separately identified within this, and are therefore not available.

Abortion

Baroness Cox: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will give a breakdown by regional health authority of the number of abortions performed in the latest two years for which figures are available in pregnancies of—
	(a) 24 weeks;
	(b) 25 weeks;
	(c) 26 weeks;
	(d) 27 weeks;
	(e) 28 weeks;
	(f) over 28 weeks; whether they will indicate the grounds upon which those abortions were performed; and, whether they will indicate where appropriate the nature of any possible handicap from which the baby might have been suffering.

Baroness Andrews: We do not publish regional data on abortions performed under Section 1(1)(d) of the Abortion Act, as amended (that there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped). This is because of the small numbers involved which might lead to identification of individual cases. We have therefore set out the data in the following separate tables. The first table shows the number of conditions cited for abortions performed under Section 1(1)(d) of the Act and the second shows all abortions performed under Sections 1(1)(b), 1(1)(c) and 1(1)(d) beyond 24-weeks gestation in 2000 and 2001.
	
		Abortions performed at over 24-weeks gestation, England and Wales residents, 2000 and 2001: ICD 10 classification of conditions cited for abortions under Section 1(1)(d) of the Act. 
		
			2000 2001 
			 Q00-Q89 Congenital malformations 
			  anencephaly Q00 3 2 
			  microcephaly Q02 0 2 
			  congenital hydrocephalus Q03 17 4 
			  other malformations of the brain Q04 7 12 
			  spina bifida Q05 8 7 
			  cardiovascular system Q20-Q28 8 15 
			  respiratory system Q30-Q34 0 3 
			  cleft lip and cleft palate Q35-Q37 0 1 
			  other malformations of the digestive system Q38-Q45 3 0 
			  urinary system Q60-Q64 8 4 
			  musculoskeletal system Q65-Q79 4 6 
			  other Q82-Q89 1 7 
			 Q90-Q99 Chromosomal abnormalities 
			  Down's Syndrome Q90 5 11 
			  Edward's Syndrome Q91.3 5 9 
			  Patau's Syndrome Q91.7 4 1 
			  Not elsewhere classified Q92-Q99 6 3 
			  Other conditions
			  Fetus affected by maternal complications   P01-P04 1 0 
			  Fetal disorders related to gestation and growth   P05-P08 8 7 
			  Fetus affected by congenital infectious disease   P35-P39 2 1 
			  Haemolytic disease of fetus and newborn   P832-P833 1 0 
			  Hydrops fetalis not due to haemolytic disease   P83.2-P83.3 2 5 
			  Family history of inheritable disorder   Z80-Z84 1 0 
			 
			   Total 94 100 
		
	
	
		Late abortions by gestation, residents only, by region, England, 2000 and 2001
		
			   Gestation in weeks 
			 2000 24(1) 25 26 27 28 over 28 Total 
			 Northern & Yorkshire 1 4 0 1 3 4 13 
			 Trent 2 0 1 0 1 1 5 
			 West Midlands 1 1 0 1 1 2 6 
			 North-West 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 
			 Eastern 4 3 2 2 1 6 18 
			 London 8 8 5 0 3 9 33 
			 South-East 4 3 5 2 0 3 17 
			 South-West 1 0 0 1 0 1 3 
			 Wales 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 
			  
			 2001 
			 Northern & Yorkshire 3 5 1 3 1 4 18 
			 Trent 0 4 0 0 0 0 4 
			 West Midlands 1 2 1 0 1 2 7 
			 North-West 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 
			 Eastern 4 2 1 0 2 4 13 
			 London 12 6 4 6 3 4 36 
			 South-East 1 2 0 3 1 7 15 
			 South-West 3 0 0 1 0 1 5 
			 Wales 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 
		
	
	(1) Footnote
	Figures are of abortions under Section 1(1)(d) performed at more than 24 weeks 0 days gestation.

Abortion

Baroness Masham of Ilton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are taking steps to reduce the number of abortions in the United Kingdom.

Baroness Andrews: In England we are taking a number of steps through the Sexual Health and HIV Strategy and the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy to reduce the rate of unintended pregnancy, which should lead to a reduction in the number of abortions. We are working to improve access to contraceptive services and the range of methods of contraception that are available; for example, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence is preparing clinical guidelines for the National Health Service on the effective and appropriate use of long-acting reversible contraception. We are also working with the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) to improve sex and relationships education (SRE). The DfES has issued guidance on SRE against which schools are required to develop their policies and the delivery of SRE is now covered within Ofsted inspections.
	In November 2002 we launched the "Sex Lottery" campaign with an investment of £4 million over two years. The campaign is aimed at 18 to 30 year-olds, and promotes messages around safer sex and the use of condoms. Although the campaign focuses on the prevention of infection, condoms when used correctly are highly effective in preventing pregnancy.
	Policy on sexual health including reducing unintended pregnancies is devolved to the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. The Abortion Act 1967, as amended, does not apply to Northern Ireland where it is not legal to carry out a therapeutic termination of pregnancy, other than to save the life of the mother or to prevent serious damage to her physical or mental health.

Bisphenol Exposure

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What account they have taken of recently published research conducted by Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, which found that exposure to bisphenol, a component of plastic bottles, could be linked to chromosomal abnormalities in unborn children and to miscarriages.

Baroness Andrews: The Government are keeping the safety of bisphenol-A under review. We are aware of this recently published study which put forward the hypothesis that a slight increase in abnormalities seen in the eggs of female mice might be attributed to bisphenol-A leaching from damaged mouse cages.
	In 2001 the Committee on Toxicity considered reports of apparent low dose effects associated with bisphenol-A. It advised that given the uncertain significance of the effects it was not appropriate to use such findings as the basis of a human health risk assessment.
	Further research has been commissioned to investigate the implications of low level exposure to bisphenol-A. Meanwhile, industry is being encouraged to reduce levels of bisphenol-A to the lowest level possible.

NHS Foundation Trusts

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will place in the Library of the House a list of National Health Service Trusts which have been successful in their preliminary application for NHS Foundation Trust status.

Baroness Andrews: We have today placed in the Library a list of those National Health Service trusts that have been successful in their preliminary application for NHS foundation trust status, with a view to their establishment in April 2004, subject, of course, to Parliament's approval of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill 2003, currently before the House of Commons. These NHS trusts will now enter the preparatory stage for NHS foundation trust status. The applicant NHS trusts must satisfy the requirements of the preparatory phase, outlined in The Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts, and must retain three stars in the performance ratings to be published in the summer before they can be approved to become NHS foundation trusts. The objective of the full application process is to help applicants to prepare for NHS foundation trust status, check whether the applicant's vision to utilise the freedoms of NHS foundation trust status is consistent with the aims of the policy, and to test the organisation's readiness.

VAT

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What latitude they have under European Union regulations to vary Value Added Tax (VAT).
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The European Community's Sixth VAT Directive (77/388) provides the framework for VAT and the rates that may be applied by Member States. The UK is able to decide the domestic application of VAT within that framework. Any changes to the directive are subject to unanimity.